Written by

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

One of Bobby Fergusonís codefendants in a bid-rigging case pleaded guilty this morning to his role in what the government says was a scheme to steer a nearly $12-million contract to Ferguson, a longtime friend of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

The co-defendant, Calvin Hall, 45, of Detroit, cut his plea deal 14 months after the initial case ended in a mistrial because of a hung jury, but he has not agreed to cooperate in the governmentís pending case against Ferguson.

At his plea hearing before U.S. District Judge David Lawson, Hall admitted that as vice president of a Ferguson-controlled company called Xcel Construction, he submitted phony documents to help Ferguson win a contract to help build a low-income housing project. The project, known as the Garden View Estates, is the former Herman Gardens development on Detroitís northwest side and was funded by a $24-million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The government has alleged that Ferguson and his associates rigged bids to make it look like Ferguson had the lowest bid and would win the government contract, which he did.

Hall admitted that he prepared several false documents to help make that happen, including drafting a fraudulent proposal and fake organizational chart with doctored resumes of employees who were to work on the project.

Hall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., a felony that carries up to five years in prison. Under the sentencing guidelines in his plea deal, he faces 15-21 months in prison. He also agreed to forfeit more than $2.2 million in assets, including multiple bank accounts and certificates of deposit that were seized from Xcel during the federal probe.

Fergusonís retrial on bid-rigging charges has been scheduled for Sept. 10, although Rataj has asked for a delay, arguing he needs more time given that he inherited the case this summer. Rataj replaced Fergusonís longtime lawyer, Gerald Evelyn, who withdrew from the case in March, citing health reasons.

Ferguson, along with Kilpatrick, remains in prison awaiting sentencing in the public corruption trial. Both men will be sentenced Oct. 10 and each faces 20-plus years in prison.